Cow & Sow Deli a farm-fresh oasis downtown

A very cool new deli/mini-grocery is officially opening Saturday at 612 E. Douglas. But potential customers can stop in today to look around and pick up free samples.
Inside the Cow and Sow Deli
Cow & Sow Deli, owned by Tracy Coln and Teresa Gerber, is on the bottom floor of the Renfro apartments, right next door to John Barleycorn’s.

Coln and Gerber are friends with farm ties, and their store focuses on farm-fresh, locally grown ingredients and groceries.

Cow & Sow also will have a coffee, pastries, a salad bar and also will serve sandwiches that will be made on the wonderful bread made by Newton’s Crust & Crumb Co., which also will be sold by-the-loaf at the store. It’ll have vegan and gluten-free options each day.

There’s also a tiny grocery area that sells items such as farm-fresh lettuce, all-natural beef, farm-made cheeses, all-natural jellies and condiments and in-season vegetables. They have will have a few necessities, such as toilet paper and chap stick.

The deli has a few seats along the window, but there’s more seating in the space next door, which Coln also owns.

Today, they’ll be open offering free samples of some of their food. I stopped in this morning and picked up a Crust & Crumb chocolate croissant. Saturday’s grand opening hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The normal hours, which start Monday, are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.